Tonight:

Police to reveal findings of Netanyahu investigations

Netanyahu prepares for announcement on whether or not police will recommend indictment against PM in two investigations.

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David Rosenberg, 13/02/18 19:29

Binyamin Netanyahu

Marc Israel Sellem/POOL

Israel Police are poised to disclose their plans Tuesday night regarding two long-running investigations into claims of misconduct by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Police are expected to publicize Tuesday night their decision to either recommend that Netanyahu be indicted in what have been popularly termed the 1000 and 2000 scandals, or that no charges be filed.

While Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing in either case, police have conducted an investigation into gifts the Prime Minister reportedly received from wealthy businessmen, including billionaire film-maker Arnon Milchan, in what has been dubbed “Case 1000”, or the “1000 Affair”.

Investigators have probed allegations that Netanyahu and his wife regularly received gifts from Milchan and others.

According to testimony Milchan gave to Israeli authorities in December 2016, he gave the Netanyahus boxes of cigars, bottles champagne, and jewelry – at their request.

"Any intelligent person knows that if a friend or someone close to you gives a friend cigars as a gift, there is not and cannot be anything prohibited about that - no shred of a criminal act," said Weinroth.

In a separate parallel investigation, dubbed “Case 2000”, police probed allegations that Netanyahu conspired with the publisher of the Yediot Aharonot newspaper against Israel Hayom – a competing Hebrew daily distributed for free in Israel.

The case centers around claims that Netanyahu agreed to pass legislation, dubbed the “Israel Hayom Law”, banning the free distribution of newspapers, in exchange for promises from Yediot publisher Arnon Mozes that his paper would tone down its criticism of the premier.

Police questioned the Prime Minister six times in connection with the two investigations, and have signaled that they are prepared to report whether there is sufficient evidence to indict Netanyahu in either of the two cases.

On Monday, Israel’s Supreme Court turned down a petition seeking to bar publication of the police department’s decision in the two cases, paving the way for an announcement Tuesday.

Last week, Netanyahu dismissed the impending recommendation, stating that investigators would likely rule against an indictment. Reiterating his claim that the suspicions are unfounded, Netanyahu emphasized that ‘nothing would come’ from the investigations.

"Many of you are asking what will happen, so I want to reassure you: There will be nothing, because I know the truth," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

"The State of Israel is a state of law, and the law states that the person who determines whether there is evidence against the prime minister is the attorney general, and he consults with the state prosecutor. The state prosecutor himself said recently that about half of the police's recommendations end with nothing," continued Netanyahu.

"So do not be in suspense: There will be recommendations, there will also be signs such as 'Bibi is guilty until proven innocent', there will also be inappropriate pressure, but I am sure that at the end of the day the competent legal bodies will come to one conclusion, to the simple truth: There is nothing,” he concluded.